"There we are, three Valesian bouquets marked with the Atlesian symbol." Grinned a florist as he gently placed the bundled flowers on the countertop.
Port smiled as he accepted his order.
"You know, I've been selling you the exact same set of bouquets for the past decade, Port. I don't mean to come off as nosy, but I'd really like to know why you're buying these flowers." The florist said with a sheepish smile.
The stout hunter twirled his mustache. "I understand your curiosity my dear friend, but the matter as to why I require your services are rather personal, and I'd like to keep it that way."
With a smile and a shrug, the florist bid his consistent customer goodbye and left the front counter to assist an elderly woman.
"Ah, another summer day just waiting to be explored!" Port strutted down the bustling streets of the commercial district with the smile of a superstar.
He made sure to inform Ozpin of his early leave, and though the headmaster urged him to see the festivities all the way through, the mustached gentleman could not afford to miss his bullhead to Mantle.
His complexion reflecting off of a wide window pane, Port heartily sighed at the gray mop of brushed hair that occupied his large scalp. In his younger years, he sported shiny brown locks at shoulder length, but it would appear that time had other plans.
Nevertheless, a full head of hair was something to be appreciative for, and Port merely whistled a merry tune and moved on. As he rounded a corner of the street, he was met with two blurring figures of black and yellow.
"Ow!"
"Damn it!"
"Oof!"
Clinging his bouquets close to his chest, Port tumbled to the ground with two lads atop him.
"Qrow? Tai?" The stout hunter said groggily.
Jumping off his person, the bumbling duo shook their heads and patted the dust off their shoulders. In unison, they got straight to the point.
"Port?! Have you seen Summer by any chance?!"
The man in question stepped back. "I don't believe I have, but if I see her I'll make sure to notify you. But why not use your scrolls to contact her? Wouldn't that be the fastest way to get a hold of our beloved cookie lover?"
The pair's frown deepened.
"Believe me, we've sent Summer enough messages to fill up a mailbox. Though given the circumstances I don't think she's willing to converse over a scroll." Tai explained.
Port tugged his mustache. "Weren't you on happy terms with Summer just this morning?"
The blonde's face scrunched. "We were until we decided to have a private meeting behind Summer's back. To cut a long story short, she wasn't happy about it and disappeared with her semblance after slapping us both."
Qrow rubbed his neck. "Look, we don't have a lot of time on our hands, so if you could keep your eyes open that's enough. Come on, Tai, if we don't hurry our red reaper might never come back."
The two spun on their heels for a hasty retreat, but a firm set of fingers gripped their collars.
"Hold it right there." Port huffed. "I've been in stressful moments before and have made hasty decisions. Sometimes they pay off, but usually they go away. How about you younglings calm down for a minute and gather your thoughts? Perhaps we can help reduce the amount of Grimm in the Emerald forest while we're at it?"
"We don't have time for a scolding lecture!" Qrow growled.
"Then I'll be sure to make some, come along now, the hearts of your team are stuck in a whirlpool of emotions and it's my job to fish them out one at a time."
/-/
"Now, why don't we start from the beginning?" Port hummed as he and his reluctant friends crossed into Emerald forest territory. The winds had begun to pick up as a warning for a storm had been stated on the morning news broadcast.
"Well... It all started about after Raven deserted the team. I knew she was a fickle sort, but I truly believed that I finally managed to break her cold demeanor. I mean, for Oum's sake, we had a child together!" Tai grit his teeth while his hands furiously scratched his skull.
"About a week after," Qrow cut in, "my sister started contacting me in the middle of the night. She told me it was time to bail these 'Beacon pawns' and return to our tribe in Vacuo."
The ravenette let out a long sigh. "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. When Raven and I registered in Beacon's ranks, it was to find out how to counter hunters and huntresses to ensure the prosperity of our tribe. But low and behold, my stubborn sibling started a relationship with the blonde goofball of our team."
With a weak chuckle, Qrow closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "When Raven told me she had affections for my partner, I thought she actually grew a funny bone. Yet a few years after I ended up becoming an uncle. Who would've guessed right?"
Port, who remained silent all the while, ran a hand through his gray locks and cupped his chin.
"I see, this is quite the conundrum. However, where does Summer stand in all this? As your leader and friend, she deserves to know your strife and inner conflicts. After all, bottled emotions are bound to burst at one point or another, and it's rarely a positive sight when they finally explode."
Both members of STTQ grimaced.
"Summer had a hunch that we were scheming behind her back, but she never called us out on it until Qrow let it slip a few weeks ago." The blonde muttered.
"It wasn't my fault!" Qrow growled. "It's not easy to keep a secret from someone you've been with for five years. And believe me, Summer's a lot smarter than what most of her peers assume."
Tai shook his head and slowed his steps. "I never wanted to keep my meetings with Raven a secret, but it didn't sit well with me to have Summer present during those conversations. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to tell my leader about my private conversations, but..."
"It's because you still have affections for your ex-wife," Port said bluntly.
Tai bit his tongue and stiffly nodded.
"While my interactions with the 'moonlight beauty' of Beacon were far and in between, my impression of her was rather low. Now don't misunderstand, the reasons I disliked her are different from Glynda's, but there are a few similarities." The mustached hunter sighed.
"Where are you going with this?" Qrow asked irritably.
"I'm saying that neither of the Branwen siblings had the intent of becoming protectors of the peace." The stout gentleman huffed and narrowed his eyes on Qrow.
"I've seen all sorts of characters when I was still a member of Atlas' ranks. From people who enlisted for wealth and fame, to the rare persons who wanted to serve their kingdom for the greater good."
His features stern, both Qrow and Tai gulped at Port's serious tone.
"However, both you and your sister stumped me. At first, I assumed the Branwen siblings enlisted for the thrill of battle seeing Raven spent most of her time in the school's training facilities, but that opinion slowly changed after closer inspection."
Port fiddled with the ribbons of his bouquets and continued.
"It was the look in Raven's eyes that got me thinking. From the ways, she would cut down her opponents with swift efficiency, to the disregard of sympathy or empathy for her fallen foe. She wasn't fighting for glory or lien, but for survival and preservation alone."
Qrow opened his mouth, but a quick nudge from Tai clamped it shut.
"I don't really blame Raven for having such a mindset. After all, while Vacuo is abundant in dust deposits, the rough terrain and terrible Grimm that surround the kingdom is nothing to scoff at."
"Hmph, you got that right. The adult deathstalkers in Vale are nothing compared to the ones from my homeland." Qrow added.
"It's because of the environment. Deathstalkers prefer hot climates and they often hibernate during the winter. Despite what most folks believe, those skeletal scorpions prefer to hunt during the day instead of the night."
"Huh, I almost forgot that Grimm studies was your strongest subject." Tai grinned.
"Indeed. I wanted to learn all about the monsters that buried my former comrades, and I'll always go the extra mile to educate others about the dangers of Grimm."
Both Tai's and Qrow's faces fell.
"O-Oh, that's right. I'm so used to seeing you with the other members of GPPO that it's hard to see you with another team." The blonde said sheepishly.
"Haha, never mind that. I apologize for getting off course. Let's get back to the task at hand, shall we? Or else your date for the grad reunion will be lost forever."
"Port..." The ravenette murmured but the mustached gentleman wagged a finger.
"Calm down, my skin is pretty thick after all, though you two seem to be on the breaking point."
Port straightened his posture and stopped walking. Now facing both of his bewildered friends, he put his hands on his hips and bit back a snarl.
"Now you boys need to listen because I'm only going to say this once. A person's heart, whether it's one of a maiden or a gentleman, is something you should never play around with."
The supposed boys of the group stepped back with wide eyes.
"You need to realize, that despite your internal squabbles, that everyone around you is affected by your decisions. It's remarkable that Summer has withheld her emotions for this long, and she has my utmost respect for it, but as someone who's experienced a similar situation I cannot help but pity her at the same time."
Port cleared his throat with a cough and focused his sights on Tai.
"While I do agree that most of the issues that regard you and Raven should be resolved in a one-on-one conversation, that doesn't excuse the lies you've been spitting in a vain attempt to keep Summer's heart intact."
Port raised his arms and his voice.
"I mean for Oum's sake man, Summer has been your leader and ally for five bloody years! She needs to know these things otherwise she'll feel like a third wheel that's been cast aside!"
The mustached individual then turned to Qrow.
"And then there's the problematic bond of loving siblings. It's difficult to sever ties with someone who's looked after you their whole life, but you must adapt if you want to mature! I don't blame you for keeping contact with your sister, but trying to play it off as a mere family outing is unacceptable!"
Throwing his bouquets to the ground, Port stomped his foot and it took all his strength not to throw a punch.
"So you lot need to grow up and be honest with yourselves before it's too late! So tell me, who's more important right now, the leader who's sacrificed all she could to make you happy, or the woman who abandoned you when you needed her the most?!"
His outburst done with, a gust of wind filled the uneasy atmosphere as the veins atop Port's forehead bulged with boiling blood. As for Qrow and Tai, all they could muster were shocked expressions while trading glances with each other.
"Hmph, it looks like you younglings have decided on your next course of action, so I'll leave you to it. Though I warn you, if you decide to hesitate and upset Summer any more than she is now, I assure you that the combined wrath of GPPO is not to be underestimated."
With that, Port picked up his wrinkled belongings and began the long trek back to civilization. Once out of sight, the stunned remainders of the group deeply sighed and turned to each other.
"We need to apologize to Summer and tell her every small detail don't we?" Qrow grunted.
"You've hit the nail on the head old buddy." Tai lamented with a hint of a nervous smile.
/-/
As the affairs between Port, Tai, and Qrow came to a close, a stoic magician and red reaper were nowhere near a conclusion.
"But it's not fair!" Summer held nothing back as she pounded the magician's shoulder with an onslaught of petty fists.
"It's simply a situation of opportunity. After all, I assumed you'd be attending your grad reunion with your blonde teammate." Hawkins replied calmly despite the slight bruisings which had begun to form.
"I already told you that I wasn't going with him, and we're actual friends, right? So isn't it better that we go to the celebration together?"
"I'm not even a hunter, nor did I graduate from Beacon Academy. However, I must fulfill Ms. Goodwitch's demands so that I can receive the information I desire. If it makes you feel any better, I'm not her date in the hopes of getting involved in a romantic relationship." The magician sighed.
"Really? What, did she pay you to attend or something?" Summer pressed on and blocked Hawkins' path with her hands on her hips.
"The conditions of our fake date are simply for information. Did I not tell you that already?"
Puffing her cheeks at the remark, Summer snagged the blonde's wrist and dragged him back to the emerald forest. Now alone, a chill trickled down Hawkins' spine at his friend's ominous tone.
"So what, I'm supposed to slap on a fake smile and expect things to work out without me?"
Hawkins curled a brow. "I don't know how my previous statement matches your question."
The red reaper rolled her eyes as a hollow laugh erupted from her throat.
"So that's it, even when I needed a friend to be honest with me, you go out of your way to weave a crafty lie. I see what you're doing, Hawkins."
The magician blinked. "Since when did I create any falsehoods? From my perspective, I've given you nothing but the truth and the only reason I'm keeping my end of the deal with Ms. Goodwitch is because she's going to give me an old news article."
Summer cupped her cheeks with an air of cheery aloofness.
"Haha, don't worry about it. I should be used to it at this point." Her voice was teetering on the edges of joy and insanity.
"After all, I'm always the second option aren't I? So I should be happy when my turn finally comes around."
"That's not what I was insinuating." Hawkins raised his voice a tad.
"I mean, look at me, my eyes are silver, and doesn't silver always come after gold?"
The blonde didn't know where the red reaper was going with this, but he could tell the conclusion would not be favorable. He reached for the woman's shoulder, but she playfully slapped it away as she continued her self-deprecating rambles.
"You know, my first year in Beacon was really rough. I had trouble making friends, and the ones I did make never gave me a second thought. Besides my own team and the members of GPPO, I was pretty much a loner, and I guess I still am to this day."
Another round of eery laughter, Hawkins reached out to her once more, but Summer proved indignant and refused his advances.
"And don't even get me started on my partner." Summer kicked a pebble, but the impact was so strong it tore through a tree branch in the distance.
"Boy, she was just a jumble of problems, to begin with! From her scornful attitude to her desire for power, all she did was fight and snarl during her classes. Heck, even when she was in a good mood she was sassy!"
"Ms. Rose," his patience wearing thin, Hawkins withdrew his tarot cards and began to shuffle. The studious movements being his only real comfort in times of stress.
With the sound of shifting paper garnering her attention, the red reaper pouted at the supposed ignorance of her blonde cohort and snatched his away. With a hot set of crimson boring into a mocking pair of silver, the magician demanded to have his property returned.
Summer giggled. "If you want these back so badly then all you have to do is be my date tomorrow.~"
Hawkins grimaced. "I thought you appreciated loyalty and honesty. If I were to forego my appointed meeting with Ms. Goodwitch then I'd be breaking the very morals you value, isn't that right?"
"Aw, don't be such a downer." The red reaper's cheeks puffed as she shoved a card in one of her belt pockets.
She made no effort to hide the act, prompting her blonde cohort to take action. Moving to intercept her left hand, his fingers were swatted by her right as she pocketed another piece of colorful paper.
"Stop acting like a child and return what is rightfully mine." Hawkins' voice was on the verge of a shout.
"AND WHY SHOULD I?!" Summer snarled with a scrunched nose and long frown.
Her cheeks reddened in lividity, the huntress threw the tarot cards into the air and laughed like a giddy schoolgirl. A torrent of nipping tears washing her burning skin, Summer skipped around Hawkins with her hands clasped behind her back.
The magician paid no mind to Summer's sudden drop into insanity, as his most valued treasure swirled in the rising breeze.
Her pacing slowed by Hawkins' inaction to her antics, Summer witnessed a new expression on his pale visage as he frantically snatched his cards out of the sky.
Every one of them, an equal number of 78, formed the paths and possibilities the former pirate had grown to rely on for his entire life. To see the decorated papers scattered out of his reach was like a nightmare, a nightmare he wished he never had to imagine.
Another strong gust of wind, a handful of tarot cards was whisked into the air and pried from his trembling fingers. His heart thundering against his ribcage, Hawkins leaped for his fleeting belongings but alas his efforts were in vain.
Manifesting his devil fruit powers, lengthened straw surrounded his arms, but in his panic, he failed to recall the transformation also replaced his fingers with jagged iron nails.
"Shriiip!"
Hawkins' eyes widened to their full radius as the emotions of dread contorted his stoic visage. Though he'd saved a few cards, the tips of his nails had left them with plenty of holes.
The magician's legs buckled and his knees met the dirt. Clutching the remains of his damaged deck close to his chest, a single tear rolled down his cheek as he tried to shuffle them. To his dismay, the damage proved permanent as the cards jumbled unevenly between his palms and lacked the comforting sound of rustling paper.
"H-Hawkins?" Summer's rant came to a full stop after witnessing the pitiable event.
"Please..."
His word so weak, the huntress felt her nerves freeze as the consequences of her tantrum hit her with the force of a speeding bullhead.
"H-Hey, no need to be sad, I-I'll help you get your cards back, they couldn't have flown too far!"
Biting her lower lip, Summer hastily returned the blonde's tarot cards and moved to comfort the destitute magician, but instead of accepting her aid, Hawkins sprung to his feet as his expression shifted to one of absolute desperation.
"Please come back!" He wailed and broke into a heated sprint.
"H-Hawkins?! W-Wait, it's dangerous to go deeper into the forest, the Grimm warnings on the scroll network have been really high since the fires in the farms!"
His mind addled, the huntress' words never reached his ears, and he continued his devoted pursuit for his personal treasures in blind determination.